Container structure with opening identification functions

ABSTRACT

A container structure with opening identification functions has a container body, limit ring flange, cover body, engaging flange and a concealed prebreaking portion. The prebreaking portion must be set onto the container body but also located at a preset position inside the limit ring flange. When the cover body is covered onto the container body, the outer edge of the cover body is extended to conceal the prebreaking portion. Because the prebreaking portion is concealed by the cover body, when the consumers intend to take or carry the container body, or open or close the cover body, it is possible to avoid discomfort or accidental injury arising from contact with the broken position of the prebreaking portion. Further, ill-disposed individuals cannot easily open the cover body and insert foreign or harmful substances, thus ensuring the quality and safety of products in the container body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a container structure withopening identification functions, and more particularly to an innovativeone which is designed to avoid any discomfort or even accidental injuryarising from direct manual contact with the broken position of theproduct.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

In view of external factors for marketable foods such as: sanitation orappearance integrity protection, a container is generally used tocontain the foods, which are then packaged simply via an outer cover bymeans of embedding OF snapping, etc. However, ill-disposed or interestedindividuals could easily open the cover to insert foreign or harmfulsubstances via the gap, and then cover it again quickly, making itimpossible to identify if the container has been opened. Hence, acontainer with opening identification function has been developed andimproved for this purpose.

As for conventional containers with opening identification functions, apre-breaking line is preset on the periphery of the cover, so when thecover is pulled open by external force, the periphery or the presetlocation of the cover is separated from the pre-breaking line, enablingthe consumers to easily identify if the cover of the container has beenopened for the purpose of warning and safety protection.

Yet, the conventional pre-breaking line is generally exposed on theouter cover, so the consumers may accidentally pull or press the outercover to trigger the pre-breaking line, thus breaking the coupledposition and posing damage to the appearance and integrity of products.In such case, the products must be returned or reworked prior tomarketing, causing substantial economic losses to the producers,affecting markedly the reputation and cutting down the consumptiondesire. As discussed above, the pre-breaking line is set around theouter cover, when the consumers purchase the container and remove theouter cover, a sharp flange will be formed on the broken position of theouter cover and the pre-breaking line (the pre-breaking line isgenerally of broken line pattern, so sharp flanged portions will beformed at interval onto the broken position). Moreover, whenever openingor closing the outer cover of the container, the consumers are prone totouch the broken position of the pre-breaking line, leading possibly todiscomfort or even cutting of the fingers. In addition, when the outercover is opened or closed by kids, the same safety hazard may alsooccur. On the other hand, when the consumers carry or hold thecontainer, such safety hazard likely happens, affecting greatly thesafety of the products. It is thus learnt that there is stillsubstantial room for improvement of such a container.

Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it wouldbe an advancement if the art to provide an improved structure that cansignificantly improve the efficacy.

Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention ofpracticability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years ofexperience in the production, development and design of relatedproducts.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based on the innovative structural design of the present inventionwherein the “container structure with opening identification function”mainly comprises a container body, a limit ring flange, a cover body, anengaging flange and a concealed prebreaking portion, when the consumersare intended for removing, taking or carrying or opening/closing thecover body, it is possible to avoid any discomfort or even accidentalinjury arising from direct manual contact with the broken position ofthe prebreaking portion, thus further resolving the shortcomings ofconventional container and promoting the operational safety. On theother hand, those ill-disposed individuals could not easily pull openthe cover body and put foreign or harmful substances into the containerbody, thus improving markedly the operational safety and comfort toensure the quality and safety of products in the container body.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiment, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged application view of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-6 depict preferred embodiments of the container structure of thepresent invention with opening identification functions, which, however,are provided for only explanatory objective.

Said container structure with opening identification functions comprisesa container body 10, designed into a preset cup or box pattern, having acircumference wall 11, a bottom wall 12, an opening end 13 and a holdingspace 14.

A limit ring flange 20 is expanded outwards to be formed onto theopening end 13 of the container body 10. A recessed annular space 21 isformed at inner side of the limit ring flange 20.

A cover body 30 is covered onto the opening end 13 of the container body10 in an openable or closable state. When the cover body 30 is coveredonto the container body 10, the outer edge of the cover body 30 islocated into the recessed annular space 21 of the limit ring flange 20.

An engaging flange 40 is formed correspondingly to the opening end 13 ofthe container body 10 and the cover body 30 in a mating position, suchthat the cover body 30 could be locked securely. In the preferredembodiment, said engaging flange 40 comprises an annular flange 41formed inside the opening end 13 of the container body 10 and a ringconcave edge 42 located correspondingly to the cover body 30 and theannular flange 41(or set reversely), such that the cover body 30 iscovered onto the opening end 13 in a mating position.

A concealed prebreaking portion 50, which must be set onto the containerbody 10 but also located at preset position inside the limit ring flange20. Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the prebreaking portion 50 is formedcircumferentially between the annular flange 41 and limit ring flange 20of the container body 10. When the cover body 30 is covered onto thecontainer body 10, the outer edge of the cover body 30 is extended toconceal the prebreaking portion 50. When the limit ring flange 20 isseparated from the container body 10 via the prebreaking portion 50(e.g.: arrow L1 marked by FIG. 6), it allows to remove the cover body 30and identify if the cover body 30 has been opened. The prebreakingportion 50 disclosed in the present invention is designed into either ofpre-breaking line, notch or rib.

With this structural design wherein the prebreaking portion 50 isconcealed by the cover body 30, when the consumers are intended forremoving the cover body 30, taking or carrying the container body 10, oropening/closing the cover body 30, it is possible to avoid anydiscomfort or even accidental injury arising from direct manual touchwith the broken position of the prebreaking portion 50. On the otherhand, as the prebreaking portion 50 is concealed, those ill-disposedindividuals could not easily find the prebreaking portion 50 to pullopen the cover body 30 and put foreign or harmful substances into thecontainer body 10. That's to say, when they intend to remove the coverbody 30, the limit ring flange 20 of the container body 10 must bepulled outwards. In such case, the limit ring flange 20 is separatedfrom the container body 10 via the prebreaking portion 50, showing thatthe cover body 30 has been opened. This could ensure the quality andsafety of the products in the container body 10 with its warning andsafeguarding effects. On the whole, the present invention could improvesubstantially the ease-of-operation and the safety of products in thecontainer body.

Referring to FIGS. 7, 8, the container body 10 is designed into a cuppattern. Referring firstly to FIG. 8, a connecting portion 60 (made ofplastic or flexible materials) is set correspondingly to the containerbody 10 and the cover body 30. Said connecting portion 60 is used toconnect the container body 10 and cover body 30, enabling the cover body30 to be covered rotarily onto the opening end 13 and connected with thecontainer body 10 by taking the connecting portion 60 as a rotary pivot.Or, referring to FIG. 7, the cover body 30 is directly covered onto theopening end 13 and separated from the container body 10.

1. A container structure with opening identification functionscomprising: a container body, having a preset cup or box pattern, thecontainer body having a circumference wall, a bottom wall, an openingend and a holding space; a limit ring flange, expanded outwards to beformed onto the opening end of the container body; and a recessedannular space is formed at an inner side of the limit ring flange; acover body, covered onto the opening end of the container body in anopenable or closable state; when the cover body is covered onto thecontainer body, the outer edge of the cover body is located into therecessed annular space of the limit ring flange; an engaging flange,formed correspondingly to the opening end of the container body and thecover body in a mating position, such that the cover body could belocked securely; a concealed prebreaking portion, which must be set ontothe container body but also located at preset position inside the limitring flange; when the cover body is covered onto the container body, theouter edge of the cover body is extended to conceal the prebreakingportion; when the limit ring flange is separated from the container bodyvia the prebreaking portion, it allows to remove the cover body andidentify if the cover body has been opened; with this configurationwherein the prebreaking portion is concealed by the cover body, when theconsumers are intended for removing the cover body, taking or carryingthe container body, or opening/closing the cover body, it is possible toavoid any discomfort or even accidental injury arising from directmanual touch with the broken position of the prebreaking portion; on theother hand, those ill-disposed individuals could not easily pull openthe cover body and put foreign or harmful substances into the containerbody, thus ensuring the quality and safety of products in the containerbody.
 2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said engaging flangecomprises an annular flange formed inside the opening end of thecontainer body and a ring concave edge located correspondingly to thecover body and the annular flange, such that the cover body is coveredonto the opening end in a mating position.
 3. The structure defined inclaim 2, wherein said prebreaking portion is formed circumferentiallybetween the annular flange and limit ring flange of the container body.4. The structure defined in claim 3, wherein said prebreaking portion isdesigned into either of pre-breaking line, notch or rib.
 5. Thestructure defined in claim 1, wherein a connecting portion is setcorrespondingly to the container body and the cover body; saidconnecting portion is used to connect the container body and cover body,enabling the cover body to be covered rotarily onto the opening end andconnected with the container body by taking the connecting portion as arotary pivot, or, the cover body is directly covered onto the openingend and separated from the container body.